Immunologic and Nonimmunologic Activation of Macrophages

Alternative activation of macrophages: an immunologic functional perspective.

Macrophages are innate immune cells with well-established roles in the primary response to pathogens, but also in tissue homeostasis, coordination of the adaptive immune response, inflammation, resolution, and repair. These cells recognize danger signals through receptors capable of inducing specialized activation programs. The classically known macrophage activation is induced by IFN-gamma, wh...

Immunologic and nonimmunologic generation of superoxide from mast cells and basophils.

Mediator release from rat peritoneal and human lung mast cells as well as human leukemic basophils was examined to determine whether super-oxide (O(-) (2)) was concomitantly generated. Immunologic or nonimmunologic stimulation of each preparation induced parallel release of histamine and O(-) (2) within 2 min. O(-) (2) production was quantitated by superoxide dismutase (SOD)-inhibitable chemilu...

Nonimmunologic targets of immunosuppressive agents in podocytes

Proteinuria is a characteristic finding in glomerular diseases and is closely associated with renal outcomes. In addition, therapeutic interventions that reduce proteinuria improve renal prognosis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that podocytes act as key modulators of glomerular injury and proteinuria. The podocyte, or glomerular visceral epithelial cell, is a highly specialized and dif...

Recruitment and Activation of Macrophages

Polarized Activation of Macrophages

The fi rst line of defense against pathogens is constituted by the innate immune system. Several recent evidences also indicate innate immunity receptors as primary sensors of tissue damage and metabolic disorders (Medzhitov 2008 ; Verbist et al. 2013 ). The innate immune system comprises a cellular and a humoral arm. Mononuclear phagocytes such as macrophages belong to the cellular arm of inna...